Enterprise Resource testing is one of the most important processes in any large organization. It’s what holds together a lot of the processes that profit the organization. These include purchasing and sales methods as well as payroll processes. ERP testing brings all these platforms together. This allows all the employees and departments of the company to work together efficiently.

In this regard, SAP has become a market leader. It’s an application that provides a one-size-fits-all solution to most companies. However, while testing these applications, there are some common roadblocks that constantly appear. Here are just a few.

Test Data Availability

SAP includes a lot of automatic data management. You don’t get to know a lot of what happens behind the scenes. This autopilot action makes things much easier in most cases, but problems may arise if a lot of tests are run during the same session.

If SAP generates a unique invoice number for a single session, it won’t remain unique or valid during multiple tests. This is not unusual, but it should be addressed. A lot of test data needs to be available in order to analyze test results.

One solution to this could be to accept system imposed data. This could entail generating a lot of useful test data so that overwrites don’t occur during the testing session. Another solution could be backing up the database which contains specific datasets of interest.

The key thing to remember is that the accuracy and the availability of the test data are important no matter what.

Use Case Description Accuracy

During SAP Application Testing, there needs to be a specific use case defined. If not, then the test may as well not be conducted. This is because the use case gives you an idea as to the parameters of the test. The clearer that definition is, the clearer the test parameters will be and the more valuable the results.

These parameters can include the following:

Access credentials: Is access limited to simply a username and password combo? Is access also laced with multifactor authentication and biometric identification?

If such details aren’t documented, then the designer will not have enough information to run the test. This wastes time on discovery. Including these types of details would’ve required a smaller effort at the beginning than during discovery. Assumptions and filling gaps in the design of the test cost money and time. More importantly, it takes effort that could’ve been completely avoided.

Test Infrastructure Sizing

One size doesn’t fit all for every single application. Different types of tests will require different operating conditions including data and speed. Variations are present within the reach of the data as well. The test practitioners usually try to find a single dataset for every single test and leave it on autopilot. This is a rookie mistake.

The large the data volume, the longer the test will take to execute. This time will come at a cost. The practitioners will want to ensure that the dataset’s size is based on the testing conducted. In order for the testing of the components to be complete, appropriate datasets are required.

However, overlaying unnecessary data doesn’t add any value to the process. It introduces a burden to the test execution that is not required. It also matters what events are taking place. You need to consider the volume of the test data the number of virtual users.

The test infrastructure size matters as well. An infrastructure that is too large will incur undue expenses. One which is too small will put too much pressure on the application, hence rendering the test useless. This is why the test infrastructure size has to be just right in order to fit the application requirements.

SAP Basis Team Interaction

SAP is a huge product, and there is very little chance that there is a single person who knows it all. Think of it as a huge machine where hundreds of cogs and screws are playing their part. If one falls out of place, the entire thing can come to a halt or collapse.

For performance testing SAP applications, you need to have a team of designers and testers. Nobody can go it alone. Here, one of the most important things is having an open dialog with the SAP basis team. The test designer may not know it all, but they should be required to obtain the knowledge they need.

Capacity Management

Capacity counts here as well. There are very few things that are more frightening than planning a test that involves emulation. This test has to take in to account millions of users accessing an application at the same time. It doesn’t matter how well you’ve designed it, if you can’t take the heat, the application will crash. However, this may not be related to just processing power. It could be related to the network’s latency, or to the programming itself.

The increasing size of company systems and the sheer volume of users have both expanded the scope of testing. However, a lot of companies focus on the logic and coverage. The considerations of the conditions of the testing are usually afterthoughts when they should be the main focus. It is just not enough to test out your products in less than ideal conditions that don’t match real-world use.

The tests should count for something, in that they should emphasize testing the limits of the applications. This seeks to literally test the limits of the application, thereby leading to improvements or optimization. However, it’s also important to note that testing shouldn’t exceed the limits of the system unexpectedly. This is often counterproductive.

Hence, if you don’t have the capability of running the tests for the apps you design, the testing is a waste.

To grow and succeed as an organization, you have to overcome these common challenges for successful app testing.